1) A task force is created to study the financial impacts to Wyoming from federally owned lands, including lost property tax revenue, permitting delays, and land management as wilderness or under other federal acts.
2) The attorney general is required to report on possible legal approaches for the state to compel the federal government to transfer ownership of federal lands to Wyoming.
3) The task force must submit recommendations and proposed legislation to a legislative interim committee by November 2013.
1. 2013
13LSO-0549.E1
ENGROSSED
STATE OF WYOMING
HOUSE BILL NO.
HB0228
Transfer of federal lands-study.
Sponsored
by:
Representative(s) Miller, Greear, Jaggi,
Larsen and Madden and Senator(s) Bebout and
Hicks
A BILL
for
1
AN ACT relating to public lands; creating the task force on
2
the transfer of federal lands; requiring a report from the
3
attorney general on possible legal recourses available to
4
compel the federal government to relinquish ownership and
5
management of specified federal lands in Wyoming; requiring
6
a
7
agriculture,
8
interim committee as specified; providing appropriations;
9
and providing for an effective date.
study
and
report
state
by
and
the
public
task
lands
force
to
and
water
the
joint
resources
10
11
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
12
13
Section 1.
14
15
16
(a)
There is created a task force on the transfer of
public lands consisting of the following members:
1
HB0228
2. 2013
STATE OF WYOMING
13LSO-0549.E1
1
2
(i)
Two
(2)
members
of
the
Wyoming
3
appointed by the president of the senate.
4
senate,
One (1) of the
members shall be designated as cochairman;
5
6
(ii)
Two
(2)
members
appointed
by
of
the
the
Wyoming
speaker
of
house
7
representatives,
the
8
of
house.
One (1) of the members shall be designated as cochairman;
9
10
(iii)
Five
(5)
members
appointed
by
the
11
governor.
One (1) of the members shall have a background
12
in oil and gas production, one (1) shall have a background
13
in mining, one (1) shall be a county commissioner, one (1)
14
shall have a background in travel and recreation and one
15
(1) shall have a background in agriculture.
16
17
(b)
The
task
force
service
shall
staffed
the
department
of
legislative
19
administration
20
Wyoming
21
advisory
22
technical
23
State agencies shall provide information and assistance to
school
of
capacity
and
information
energy
to
other
the
The
by
18
and
office.
be
and
resources
task
relevant
force
the
shall
and
information
2
University
serve
shall
as
in
of
an
provide
requested.
HB0228
3. 2013
STATE OF WYOMING
13LSO-0549.E1
1
the task force as provided in this act and as requested by
2
the task force.
3
4
(c)
The task force shall study the following, as they
5
relate to loss of revenues to the state of Wyoming due to
6
federally owned and managed lands:
7
8
9
(i)
Loss of property tax revenues to the state
of Wyoming from federal land ownership;
10
11
(ii)
Permitting
delays
associated
with,
or
12
caused by, analysis of proposed actions on federal lands
13
under the National Environmental Protection Act or other
14
federal law or regulation;
15
16
(iii)
Management of lands as wilderness;
17
18
(iv)
19
National
20
Management
Scenic
of
public
Rivers
Act,
lands
16
under
U.S.C.
1271
the
Wild
and
et
seq.;
(v)
Other relevant federal actions or policies
21
22
23
the task force determines impacts revenues to the state of
24
Wyoming.
3
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STATE OF WYOMING
13LSO-0549.E1
1
2
(d)
The
attorney
the
general
possible
report
the
on
4
state
of
5
transfer
6
managed
7
individuals on or before September 1, 2013.
8
general shall provide an opinion to the task force on the
9
likelihood
ownership
lands
of
to
compel
and
the
control
state
success
the
of
federal
of
of
each
available
task
force
to
recourses
to
3
Wyoming
legal
shall
government
federally
Wyoming
possible
to
or
owned
to
the
to
and
private
The attorney
legal
recourse
10
available to require the United States to transfer title to
11
federally
12
constitutional provisions and applicable decisions of the
13
United States Supreme Court and other courts of competent
14
jurisdiction.
owned
and
managed
lands,
considering
15
16
(e)
The task force shall submit its recommendations,
17
including proposed legislation with respect to the issues
18
specified in subsection (c) and (d) of this section, to the
19
joint
20
resources interim committee no later than November 1, 2013.
21
The joint agriculture, state and public lands and water
22
resources
23
recommendations
24
appropriate for consideration by the legislature.
agriculture,
interim
and
state
and
public
committee
develop
shall
lands
consider
legislation
4
and
it
water
the
deems
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5. 2013
STATE OF WYOMING
13LSO-0549.E1
1
2
(f)
The
task
the
task
exist
5
shall
6
expenses at the rate provided for legislators under W.S.
7
28-5-101.
8
shall be paid salary, per diem and mileage as provided in
9
W.S. 28-5-101 for their official duties as members of the
mileage
are
and
not
31,
employees or legislators shall not receive a salary but
for
who
December
4
reimbursement
force
until
2013.
receive
of
shall
3
10
Members
force
per
state
diem
Members of the task force who are legislators
task force.
11
12
Section 2.
13
14
(a)
There is appropriated from the general fund:
15
16
(i)
Eighteen
thousand
dollars
($18,000.00)
to
17
the legislative service office for payment of salary, per
18
diem and mileage for legislative task force members;
19
20
(ii)
Twelve thousand dollars ($12,000.00) to the
21
governor's office for payment of authorized per diem and
22
mileage for nonlegislative task force members.
23
5
HB0228